Shrewsbury UK

[Jacques]

I hesitated for some time before making this post, maybe I am a bit insecure about my images ? I have been involved in the photographic world since the early 1970's, I have always been a Nikon user for what my photographic tutor amusingly called a ' miniature " camera, at college we were mainly using 6x6cm or 5x4 inch for course work. I live in a relatively small town 20 miles from the Welsh border, landscape opportunities are 30 minutes away but my interest is drawn to more abstract treatment of a subject, I am enclosing one of the first images I took that made me sit up and realise that that there was an alternative way of treating a subject. This was taken with a F4s and more than likely a 60mm micro lens, the film and print were self processed and the negative was copied with my D800e using a more up to date Nikon 60mm micro.

[Frank Fremerey]

To me this looks like an academic study, as if someone wants to do it all in a proper way to pass an exam. It probably is crafted after reading a book by Ansel Adams the perfectionist and balanced using his zoning system (is this the right English expression?). Having said that and not knowing you:

1) What is your emotional response to the scene?
2) Can you show us a scan of the historic print too?

Thank you

Frank

[Anthony]

This is quite striking and would make a good print on someone's wall.

[Fons Baerken]

Welcome mr. A. Jacks to the forum, and i like your admitted piece .

[Raaj]

Jaques,


This is the sort of image that I try to make when I come across textures like this and inevitably end up botching the job.  Your execution of this idea here is very good and I like the image.  Look forward to seeing more of your images.


Cheers,
   -raaj

[Jacques]

Frank, my college education was heavy on the technical side of photography, we were at that time expected to find employment in the industrial or commercial sectors where for product photography etc a clean relatively unimaginative capture of the item was required, times have changed but this was in the very early 1970's ! It was after college that I started to read and visit exhibitions etc. I spent time looking at the work of English artist Bridget Riley a pioneer of the ' Pop ' art scene, it was after looking at how she painted shapes to create a 3D effect on a canvas that I realised that using light and subject shapes I could try to capture images that ( to me ) had some movement  or 3D effect on at the time a piece of printing paper. I cannot remember how I felt after taking  the image but I just knew inside that I had taken something special to me, it does happen to me at times that I know inwardly that that a particular image will be special and these were in the days of film, no chimping :-). I do have the original print framed alongside my desk, not sure if it will reproduce very well without removing it from the frame. I am adding a second image from the same period.

[Frank Fremerey]

Jaques. Thank you for your answer. I hope I was not too intruding. I myself am very open to
exchange on the whole of photography. The why. The how. The planned. The surprises. Rationality and
daring irresponsibility. Thank you.

That said I feel your second picture to be much more emotionally daring. Challenging me as the viewer.

love  it.

[Gary]

Firstly, I love the images ... especially the deep blacks of the shadows. But, in both photo my eye wants to see a white. I realize the white may not be there ... but nonetheless that's what my eye desires.

G

[eugeniogp]

I am personally fascinated by abstract shots,  and I love your first image.  I tend to believe that these kind of shots are better on b/w film,  because of the range of grays and the grain.

[Jacques]

Just to close out this introduction post, I do not function very well as a project person, i always carry the camera, as a result the subject matter taken at any particular time will be varied, certain ideas will always be at the back of my mind but an eventual ' project ' may take some time to come to completion,, the images I have produced when  I have gone out with a project in mind whilst not disappointing have had a sort of forced feeling about them, as I am retired it felt like I  working rather that the spontaneous approach I prefer. One more image to finish with !

[Gary]

YES!

[elsa hoffmann]

I find the abstract in the first 2 images really nice